Encapsulated batt insulation?
gerardp
| Posted in General Questions on
Good morning,,i sent a question in the answer category. not awake yet..
Thanks for reply ..removing the 2x4s woud be to much trouble with al the plumbing and electrical laid out already..what’s youre opinion on useing R-13 encapsulated batts for the basement exterior walls..i didnt see anything about that approach…if you suggested the encapsulated batt would work,would i need a extra vapor barrier, being it allready has one..if you dont suggest i have to spring for the closed cell spray foam,,also would i need a vapor barrier for the foam spray
i believe i read it is not needed..thnks
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Replies
Jerry,
It sounds like your are writing a follow-up question to your previous thread -- the one you started here: Insulating basement? Your first impulse was the correct one: in general, it's best to ask follow-up questions on the same page you started with, rather than starting a new thread.
Anyway -- Encapsulated fiberglass batts (batts that come with polyethylene facing) are usually used on crawl space walls that have no studs. Another type of encapsulated batts come in 16-inch or 24-inch wide strips, and are designed to be installed by homeowners who fine ordinary batts to be too itchy to install.
Neither product makes sense in your case. If you are insulating a basement wall, installing studs against the concrete was a mistake. If you have a 1-inch or 2-inch air space between the studs and the concrete wall, you can use spray foam to insulate the wall. But if the studs are tight to the wall, I recommend that you dismantle the studs and start again.
Encapsulated fiberglass batts aren't recommended because if they ever get wet, they are a soggy mess. The encapsulation won't prevent warm interior air from contacting the cold concrete, where moisture can condense.
thanks martin..i'll go over it this weekend